The Queen Creek Police Department is set to launch in January 2022 and the town's first police chief updated councilmembers at the Sept. 15 Town Council meeting.
"It's exciting to see how everyone is getting excited about our presence," QCPD Chief of Police Randy Brice told councilmembers, adding that the public has already been bringing them cookies.
"We're hoping to have all our vehicles outfitted by next month," he added, expressing his pleasure with how the new hires are working together in developing the Queen Creek Police Department.
"They're saying they feel like they've been together for years," Brice said. "We're set up for future success. We'll be well equipped on Day 1."
He continued; "We'll have 30 percent, Day 1, of women in law enforcement" and "A quarter of our people speak Spanish."
Brice assured councilmembers; "Your getting a very experienced police department on Day 1," adding that they're implementing "Cutting-edge training on using force deescalating, which is a hot topic nationally."
Mayor Gail Barney said he wants a plan for training the Town Council on active shooter agressive training in case there's ever an emergency or problem councilmembers would have to respond to.
"There's a series of classes we'd like to put on for council," Brice said. "We're going to do shooting, driving and defensive tactics training..."
The Queen Creek Town Council approved establishing a municipal police department in March 2020 following a comprehensive police study and extensive public outreach. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) will remain the contracted law enforcement provider during the transition. The town has been working closely with MCSO to ensure a smooth transition with the Queen Creek Police Department. MCSO District 6 is located at 20727 E. Civic Parkway. For additional information about MCSO, visit QueenCreek.org/MCSO.
QCPD welcomed Lieutenants Noah Johnson and Mark Newman, and Senior Administrative Assistant Tina Brinkman in December 2020.
“The addition of each QCPD member brings us closer to officially launching our new department,” Chief Brice said at the time. “This first round of staffing is particularly important as they will help lay the foundation for QCPD. I am excited to have Tina, Noah and Mark working alongside me as we continue this historic endeavor. They each bring a unique experience, yet all embrace the community-oriented philosophy that is at the core of QCPD.” (VIDEO)
To stay updated on the development of QCPD, visit QueenCreek.org/QCPD, follow the town on Facebook.com/QueenCreek and Twitter.com/TownofQC. To report non-emergency issues and find answers to commonly asked questions, use the town’s interactive text-based customer service platform TEXT QC by texting “HELLO” to 844-977-2291.
